Before taking a dive, Herren challenged athletic rivals University of California, Davis and California state universities Sacramento, Humboldt and Sonoma.

As of Friday, Sacramento, Humboldt and Sonoma have accepted the challenge. On Sunday, an estimated 40 Sacramento State students dove into Lake Natoma in Folsom, CA to mark only the beginning of their response, said Lauren Lombardo, Associated Students, Inc. president for Sacramento State.

The catch? The campuses have to do it in a drought-friendly fashion.

“No dumping ice cubes on the sidewalk,” said Chico State President Paul Zingg in their ALS video.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 82% of California is currently under “extreme” drought conditions, the second most-severe category on the monitor. Participants typically douse themselves with buckets of ice water and share a video of their participation on their social media accounts. With water levels hitting all-time lows across the state, the challenge has stirred concerns about water conservation in California.

Using the pool saved Chico State’s Associated Students 2,000 pounds of ice, which would have been contained in 100 20-pound plastic bags, Herren said.

“The Ice Bucket Challenge is interesting,” she said. “If everybody does a small amount, it contributes to a bigger picture. It’s the same philosophy that should be applied to the drought.”

Despite potential water waste, any controversy surrounding the challenge has helped increase awareness of the disease, she said.

“No one knew what ALS was 10 years ago,” Lombardo said. “Now, I’m seeing people talking about it every day.”

“Imagine walking around with 20-pound weights on your legs and 10-pound weights on your arms,” Lombardo said, whose uncle was diagnosed with ALS in 2004.

Sonoma State plans to top Chico State in participation and donations while being water-conscious, said Anthony Gallino, Sonoma State Associated Students president.

“We’re going to do it in true Seawolf style and hopefully better than Chico,” he said.

Humboldt State spokeswoman said their university was also game to keep the competition green.

“We don’t take a back seat to an electric car when it comes to sustainability,” she said.

Mozes Zarate is a senior at California State University, Chico.

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